The present invention relates to electronic interfaces and, more particularly, relates to using existing videogames for physical training and rehabilitation.
It is well known that adults and, especially, children get bored repeating the same movements. This can be problematic when an adult or a child has to exercise certain muscles during a post-trauma rehabilitation period. For example, special exercises are typically required after a person breaks his or her arm. It is hard to make this repetitive work interesting. Existing methods to help people during rehabilitation include games to encourage people, and especially children, to exercise more. For instance, a game between a physical therapist and a child might involve the child gently throwing light weights into a xe2x80x9cstrike zone.xe2x80x9d Another game could have the child standing on a small trampoline and hopping on one leg to imitate a rabbit. However, it is difficult to create a game for each of the many suggested exercises for each muscle group.
Thus, what is needed are techniques to make repetitive physical exercises more entertaining.
The present invention provides techniques for using existing videogames for physical training and rehabilitation. Information is gathered about movements of a person, which could be an adult or child. This information is mapped to one or more game controller commands. The game controller commands are coupled to a videogame, and the videogame responds to the game controller commands as it would normally.
In one aspect of the present invention, a videogame interface is a separate computer system from the computer system executing the videogame. The videogame interface accepts input from sensors attached to the person, from a video camera that captures the movements of the person, or from both. Movements are determined from video or sensor data, and the movements are assigned to groups. One or more important groups of data are assigned to a class. The class is associated with one or more game controller commands and the game controller commands are provided to the videogame. In another aspect of the invention, one computer system both runs the videogame and creates the game controller commands from movement.
An advantage of the present invention is that the person, in particular a child, can be trained to perform a certain movement. This movement is used, for example, to help rehabilitate an injury. Each time the movement is performed, the movement will be converted into one or more game controller commands. The game controller commands cause particular actions to be taken by a videogame. Through an appropriate selection of videogames, a physical therapist or trainer can make therapy or training much more enjoyable for the person, while also providing adequate therapy or training for the particular area being rehabilitated or exercised.
A more complete understanding of the present invention, as well as further features and advantages of the present invention, will be obtained by reference to the following detailed description and drawings.